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June 17, 2011

THE EYES OF THE LORD
by Cornelius R. Stam

"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him" (II Chron. 16:9).

The meaning of this famous passage of Scripture is clear, and its truth has been demonstrated a thousand times over. God is constantly searching, as it were, for men whom He can bless and use in the fulfilling of His purposes, but for whom, and through whom, does He accomplish His ends?

He does not need the world's influential giants, for He says in Zech. 4:6: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." He does not need the world's great thinkers, for our Lord, while on earth, prayed: "Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight" (Matt. 11:25,26). Indeed, St. Paul declares, in I Cor. 3:19: "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."

No, it is not upon the world's great ones that God bestows His blessing and power; it is rather upon the humblest believer whose heart is right with Him. Thus it is that by divine inspiration St. Paul wrote to those in ancient Corinth who had trusted Christ as their Savior:

"Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory [boast] in His presence" (I Cor. 1:26-29).

To those of us who believe that God created the Universe from nought all this is perfectly consistent and it gives us confidence that He can bless and use even us.

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June 18, 2011

RELIGIOUS MIXTURES
by Cornelius R. Stam

The largest segment of the professing Church offers her devotees neither peace for the present, nor assurance for the future. She does not tell them that believers in Christ are given a position in heaven at God's right hand (Eph. 2:4-7). She even brings Christ down from His exalted position and offers Him to the world on a crucifix, requiring men to eat His flesh and drink His blood to be saved. And this when Paul, by the Spirit, so emphatically says:

"...yea, THOUGH WE HAVE KNOWN CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH, YET NOW, HENCEFORTH, KNOW WE HIM NO MORE" (II Cor. 5:16).

Man's religion, especially in "the Church," is built upon an appeal to the senses. Her devotees are occupied with beads and bells, statues and crucifixes, candlesticks and sacred objects, robes and incense; so far has she departed from the teachings of Paul and from his declaration that "we walk by faith, not by sight" (II Cor. 5:7).

Lingering still among the types and shadows of primitive ages and mingling these with meaningless pagan rituals, she keeps millions from trusting and rejoicing in an already accomplished redemption.

We beg those who read these lines to look in faith to the risen, exalted Christ and to trust in His finished work:

"Who... when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:3).

"This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Heb. 10:12).

This is clear enough. Our Lord came to earth to accomplish our redemption and, having accomplished it, He returned to heaven and sat down with His Father. The work was finished. And now He invites us to rest in His finished work.

"THERE REMAINETH THEREFORE A REST TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

"FOR HE THAT HATH ENTERED INTO HIS REST, HE ALSO HATH CEASED FROM HIS OWN WORKS, AS GOD DID FROM HIS" (Heb. 4:9,10).

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June 19, 2011

THREE TIMES WHEN THE LORD WOULDN'T ANSWER
by Cornelius R. Stam

In the various accounts of our Lord's earthly ministry we find three occasions when He declined to answer those who appealed to Him or questioned Him.

First there is the Gentile woman of Matthew 15:21-28. Her daughter was possessed of a demon and in her trouble she appealed to the Lord to help her, "but He answered her not a word." Finally, in His grace He did help her, but not until He had taught her the lesson that as a Gentile she had no claim on Him. As Romans 1:28 tells us, the Gentiles had been "given up" because "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." In this connection we Gentiles should read carefully Ephesians 2:11,12 and see how utterly without hope we are apart from the grace of God.

Next there was a Jewess, in trouble of a different kind. She had been caught in adultery and was brought to him for judgment (John 8:1-11). Unlike the Gentile woman, she belonged to the chosen race and possessed God's holy Law, a distinct advantage -- unless you are a law-breaker. Our Lord also helped her in grace, but not until He had demonstrated that the law is the great leveler of mankind, bringing all guilty before God (Rom. 3:19).

But finally we find how it was that our Lord could show grace -- and do it justly -- to both Jew and Gentile, for in the third instance we find the Lord Himself in trouble. On trial for His life before the representatives of Hebrew and Roman law, He is accused of all sorts of wicked crimes. But on this occasion too, He declines to answer.

First Caiaphas, the High Priest, said to Him: "Answerest Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against Thee? But Jesus held His peace..." (Matt. 26:62,63).

Next Pilate, the Gentile judge, said: "Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly" (Matt. 27:13-14).

Why did our Lord not answer and defend Himself? Because He had come into the world specially to die for man's sins. Had the sinners of all ages been there to accuse Him of their sins, He would still have remained speechless for He stood there as man's representative, so that we might be "justified freely by God's grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

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June 20, 2011

THE SON OF A VIRGIN
by Cornelius R. Stam


"Behold, a virgin shall be with child" (Matt. 1:23).

Mary was highly honored that she should be chosen to be the virgin mother of Messiah. This was a distinction for which every Jewish woman had hoped and prayed. But -- now that she had heard the glad news from the angel Gabriel, she was to find herself in the most embarrassing position of an unmarried maiden with child. Little wonder that Mary hastened to the hill country to visit Elisabeth, the mother-to-be of miraculously-born John, later called John the Baptist. Who, in such a case, would better understand, or be better fitted to give sympathetic advice to Mary?

Mary remained with Elisabeth for about three months, or until the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:36,56), but now the real test lay ahead, for she must return to her home in Nazareth to face her relatives and acquaintances -- and Joseph, her lover. What would they say? And above all, what would he say? How could they be expected to believe her story? An angel had appeared to her, indeed!

In the record of Joseph's reactions we are given light as to the extreme embarrassment in which Mary now found herself. Consider Joseph's position. Mary was his "espoused wife." Why had she gone away -- and stayed so long? And now, what is this? She is found with child -- not by him. Her explanation, if indeed she offered it to him, must have seemed most unsatisfactory. He could have charged her with adultery and had her stoned, but "being a just [Lit., "fair-minded"] man" he "was minded to put her away privily" (Matt. 1:19).

But "while he thought on these things," with a heavy heart, "the angel of the Lord appeared unto him" and Joseph learned the truth; that she was indeed to be the honored mother of the Messiah of Israel, the Redeemer of sinners.

It was because our Lord was the Son of God, born into the world by a virgin and not partaking of Adam's sinful nature, that He could go to Calvary and pay the full penalty for our sins. He "suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (I Pet. 3:18 ).

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June 21, 2011

THE LITTLE FOXES THAT SPOIL THE VINES
by Cornelius R. Stam

Many Christian people entertain the notion that apostasy from the truth begins with a denial of one or more of the fundamentals of the faith, such as the infallibility of the Bible, the deity of Christ, or the efficacy of His redemptive work. The moral aspect of apostasy, they suppose, comes about in much the same way.

This view is not wholly correct, for apostasy generally begins, not with holding, but with condoning spiritual or moral error.

Eve fell into sin, not by denying what God had said but by listening to Satan.

In the Song of Solomon, the Shulamite damsel, doubtless quoting the words of Solomon, her beloved bridegroom, notes that the vineyards are in full blossom. Soon the grapes will be ripe for the marriage feast. But a danger threatens the harvest: "the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines." These must without fail be "taken," or caught (Song of Solomon 2:15).

What a striking lesson we have here! How often God's people have stood at the threshold of great blessing, the refreshing odor of an abundant spiritual harvest in the air when, alas, all has been lost -- not through a frontal attack by the adversary, but by those wily little foxes that had been permitted to spoil the vines. Some doctrine or practice clearly unscriptural and subversive of spiritual blessing, had been condoned when, like the little foxes of Solomon's song, they should have been caught and disposed of.

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June 22, 2011

GRACE NOT EARNED
by Cornelius R. Stam

Have you ever noticed that God does not hold the great men of Scripture up to us because of their personal goodness? Almost invariably their records are marred by failure and sin, but God bids us look at their faith, to see what their faith did for them. Even those who lived consistently good lives are not held up to us for their personal worth, because God knows their imperfections. Thus Rom. 4:2,3 says:

"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory-- but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

And Verse 6 goes on to say about David:

"Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works."

This is because man cannot live a life good enough to make him acceptable to God, for with God only perfection is good enough. One sin spoiled the earth; God will not allow one sin to spoil heaven too. This is why in grace He gave Christ to die for our sins and to pay the just penalty for us. Because of the all-sufficient payment of Christ in our behalf, God can now be "just, and the Justifier" of those who place their faith in Christ (Rom. 3:26).

The famous eleventh chapter of Paul's letter to the Hebrews bears out the fact that salvation, or acceptance with God, is obtained, not by human effort, but by faith. This great chapter on the heroes in God's "Hall of Fame," begins with the words: "For by it [faith] the elders obtained a good report," and then goes on: "By faith Abel ...," "By faith Enoch...," "By faith Noah...," "By faith Abraham...," etc., and closes with the declaration:

"...these all...obtained a good report through faith..."

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June 23, 2011

HEAVEN -- AND WHO WILL GO THERE
by Cornelius R. Stam

Most people are surprised when they learn that the Old Testament, though three times as large as the New, does not contain one single promise about going to heaven. God's people, in Old Testament times, looked forward to a glorified earth, with Messiah as its Ruler.

This was so even when our Lord was on earth and continued to be so through Pentecost. Peter, addressing his kinsmen just after Pentecost, said in essence: "Repent, and God will send Jesus down here" (See Acts 3:19-20), but Paul, in his epistles, says by divine inspiration: "Believe, and God will take you up there."

This apostle of grace teaches us that God has already given believers in Christ a position and "all spiritual blessings" in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:4-6; 1:3). And he teaches further that at the close of this dispensation of grace "the dead in Christ shall rise" and "we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together ...to meet the Lord... and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thes. 4:16,17).

Thus it is that Paul, God's special apostle for our day, declares that "our conversation [or citizenship] is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20) and writes of "the hope which is laid up for you in heaven" (Col. 1:5). Thus it is that he encourages persecuted saints, saying: "Ye...took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing...that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance" (Heb. 10:34). And thus he writes even of death:

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Cor. 5:1).

"...to die is gain....to depart and to be with Christ...is far better" (Phil. 1:21,23).

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June 24, 2011

TEACH NO OTHER DOCTRINE
by Cornelius R. Stam

In strong language the Apostle bids Timothy to "charge some that they teach no other doctrine"; no other doctrine, obviously, than that which he had taught them. In 1 Timothy 6:3-5 he closes his epistle by saying:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ... from such withdraw thyself."

In these passages the Apostle emphasizes the importance of fidelity to that heaven-sent message committed to him by revelation; that message which he says in Titus 1:2,3 was "promised before the ages began" but made known "in due time... through preaching which is committed unto me..."

Ever since Paul's day religious leaders have substituted other messages for that committed by the glorified Lord to Paul. The law of Moses, the Sermon on the Mount, the "great commission," and Pentecost have all been confused with God's message and program for the dispensation of grace. This is what has bewildered and divided the Church and ripened it for the apostasy.

With all the confused thinking about the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount fifty years ago it was little wonder that modernism swept so many off their feet with its teachings about Jesus of Nazareth, the Man of Galilee, following his footsteps, social betterment, political reform, etc. Multitudes were so taken up with the social gospel, so eager to help make the world a better place to live in, that they did not even notice or believe that the modernists denied the very fundamentals of the Christian faith.

But the new evangelicalism of our day is still more dangerous. It is big. It is well financed. It is popular. It is subtle. Perhaps its greatest danger lies in the fact that while claiming to be "conservative," it minimizes the importance of the fundamentals and the danger of apostatizing from them.

Thus the inspired words of the Apostle Paul: "Charge some that they teach no other doctrine," are more urgently needed in our day than they were in his.

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June 25, 2011

ENEMIES RECONCILED TO GOD
by Cornelius R. Stam

"When we were enemies" (Rom. 5:10).

Think of it! God has good news for us even in our willfulness, our enmity against Him! "When we were enemies", says Paul, "We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son".

Here we can almost hear some reader object: "Of all things, don't charge me with being an enemy of God. I'm a religious person, I go to church regularly, I even give to the church". Ah, but God does not say that the unsaved are not religious. Perhaps 999 out of 1,000 are religious. The point is that by your ungodly, sinful life, and certainly by rejecting God's gift of salvation, you have made yourself an enemy of God. You may not be an enemy against the "God" you have conjured up in your won mind, but you are certainly an enemy against God, the God of the Bible.

But despite all this God still sends His ambassadors out to offer reconciliation to all His enemies everywhere -- "by the death of His Son". Think of it! We who believe are reconciled to God, not by some effort or payment offered by us to placate God, but "by the death of HIS Son". He bore the enmity as His own creatures mocked Him, spat in His face and nailed Him to a tree. This is grace indeed! And this is not all, for the whole passage reads:

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [Lit., reconciliation]" (Rom. 5: 10,11).

The argument of this passage is that if, as His enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more "being reconciled", we may be assured that our living Savior will keep us safe. And not only are believers safe in Christ, but all the while we "joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received", not only help in our helplessness, or the forgiveness of our sins, but "the reconciliation", by which we are brought nigh to God and experience His love toward us.

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June 26, 2011

THREE BILLION WILLS
by Cornelius R. Stam

As long as man remained obedient to the will of God, his Maker, all was well with him. His life was perfectly balanced because it was centered in God. As soon as he listened to Satan, however, and set his will against God's, all began to go wrong. His life was now off center and out of balance. It was no longer subject to the one central will. Alienated from God, man now reaped the fruit of his rebellion, not only in his banishment from Paradise, but in the self-will of his offspring.

Of the first two children born into the world, one bludgeoned the other to death, and this was but the beginning. Whereas God had originally created man in His own "image" and "likeness" (Gen. 1:26,27), we read later that Adam begat Seth "in his own likeness, after his image" (Gen. 5:3). And so parents down through the ages have begotten children like themselves, with fallen natures and wills of their own, until now we have some three billion wills operating in the world instead of the one central will of God.

This does not mean, however, that God has abdicated, or that the future of the world is now subject to the wills of three billion fallen creatures. Nor was God forced to formulate new plans because of the fall of man. Far from it, for despite man's rebellion -- even through it -- God has been carrying out His plan and every true believer rejoices that God "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11). While He does not rule directly in the affairs of men, He very definitely overrules, and as a result "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28 ).

All glory to that blessed One of whom it is written:

"Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God" (Heb. 10:7).

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June 27, 2011

THE SPIRIT OF FAITH
by Cornelius R. Stam

It is thrilling to hear the Psalmist, though "greatly afflicted", say: "I believed, therefore have I spoken" (Psa. 116:10).

It is thrilling too, to see the Apostle Paul, though "troubled... perplexed... persecuted... cast down... alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake" -- it is thrilling to see him take his stand with David and to hear him speak of having

"THE SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH", adding: "WE ALSO BELIEVE AND THEREFORE SPEAK" (II Cor. 4:8-13).

If only all who believe the glorious message of God's grace: that believers in Christ are accepted in Him, pronounced "complete" and baptized into one body by one divine baptism -- if all who believed these truths would speak out today, there would be a sweeping revival tomorrow in the Church, the Body of Christ. If, putting all other considerations aside, they would openly and honestly say: "WE ALSO BELIEVE AND THEREFORE SPEAK", the results would be as refreshing as far reaching. And they should speak, for this is "the spirit of faith".

But, alas, there are few who possess "the spirit of faith"; few who will stand, regardless of consequences, for the light God has given them. Some maintain a discreet silence because of the "fear of man"; others because they love "the praise of man". Both say: "One must be careful what one says, for these truths are not popular", but both alike are guilty of unfaithfulness to God and the truth.

With God's help, let us not be among them. Let us, where the truth is concerned, stand with David and Paul and say: "WE ALSO BELIEVE AND THEREFORE SPEAK!" Let us be among those who truly possess "the spirit of faith", who are determined to "stand fast in the faith" and ready to "fight the good fight of faith" (I Cor. 16:13; I Tim. 6:12).

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June 28, 2011

TRUE EVANGELISM
by Cornelius R. Stam

In St. Paul's mighty Epistle to the Romans he declares "the gospel [good news] of God... concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:1-3).

The good news which Paul proclaimed was essentially about Christ. He was always talking about Christ. His epistles were filled with Christ. In his message Christ was everything.

This is in striking contrast to much of modern evangelism, which is not Christ-centered, but man-centered. Dr. A. W. Tozer, shortly before his death, wrote:

"The flaw in current evangelism lies in its humanistic approach... It is frankly fascinated by the great, noisy, aggressive world with its big names, its hero worship, its wealth and pageantry... This gross misapprehension of the truth is back of much... of our present evangelical activity...

"This concept of Christianity is a radical error, and because it touches the souls of men it is a dangerous, even deadly, error... It is little more than a weak humanism allied with weak Christianity to give it ecclesiastical respectability... Invariably it begins with man and his needs and then looks around for God, while true Christianity reveals God as searching for man to deliver him from his ambitions."

Tozer was right in this. God's good news for the world is about Christ and His power and love in defeating Satan, overcoming death, nailing the Law to His cross and paying for man the just penalty for sin, so that all who believe might be justified. This is why Paul's gospel is called in Scripture "the gospel [good news] of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) and "the gospel of the glory of Christ" (II Cor. 4:4).

To enter experientially into the truth of this good news is the greatest blessing one can possibly enjoy.

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June 29, 2011

THE CHRISTIAN'S PRAYER LIFE
by Cornelius R. Stam

Prayer to God manifestly must hold great importance to those who would be truly spiritual. While God's Word to us is always to have first place in our lives, prayer must certainly have second place; indeed, we must even study God's Word with prayer for understanding and willingness to obey.

The Scriptures everywhere exhort God's people to pray, and in the Epistles of Paul we find greater cause, greater reason and greater incentive than ever to pray -- to pray "always," "in everything," "without ceasing." The example of our Lord and of His apostles -- particularly Paul -- is a call to prayer. Every need, every anxiety, every heartache is a call to prayer. Every temptation, every defeat -- yes, and every victory is a call to prayer.

Yet, merely praying, or even spending much time in prayer, is not in itself evidence of true spirituality. Many carnal Christians, still "babes in Christ," and even many unsaved people, spend much time in prayer. But the truly spiritual believer will join the Apostle Paul in saying: "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also" (I Cor. 14:15). "With the spirit": earnestly, fervently, pouring out to God my adoration, my supplications and my thanks. And "with the understanding also": intelligently, with a clear grasp of what the Scriptures, rightly divided, say about God's will and His provisions for my prayer life in this present dispensation of grace.

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June 30, 2011

GOD FOR US
by Cornelius R. Stam

Many people, even religious people, suppose that God is against sinners. "Do what is right," they think, "and God will love and bless you, but do what is wrong and He will be angry with you and curse you."

Perhaps this view of God comes from the fact that many Scripture passages, especially in the Old Testament, reveal God as the Enemy of the workers of iniquity. But He is the Enemy of the workers of iniquity as such -- as workers of iniquity, not as individual persons.

In Ezek. 18:23 God asks: "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die... ?" And in II Pet. 3:9 we learn that when God might have judged this world for the crucifixion of Christ. He delayed the judgment because He is "longsuffering" and "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

The Apostle Paul, referring to the crucifixion, declares that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation" (II Cor. 5:19).

How could He have shown sinners more conclusively that He desires their good than by imputing their sins to Christ and telling them that He is not imputing their trespasses unto them? Their trespasses will be imputed to them, of course, if they reject God's provision of salvation through Christ, but for the present it is a wonderful fact that we can go to any sinner and say on the authority of God's written Word: "Your sins have been paid for; God is not holding them against you. Will you accept His love and receive Christ as your Savior?"

No, unsaved friend, God is not against you. He loves you and provided abundantly for your salvation by paying for your sins Himself at Calvary. This is the essence of "the gospel of the grace of God" (See I Tim. 2:4-7). Will you believe it? Will you trust Christ now, acknowledging Him as your Lord and Savior?

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July 1, 2011

MORE THAN CONQUERORS
by Cornelius R. Stam

Two boys fight in a back alley. Fists fly. Shouts go up from the other youngsters standing by. "Give it to ‘im! Let ‘im have it!"

Finally one of the two struts away with an arrogant bearing, head and shoulders wagging. He has won!

But has he? Look at him. He has a bloody nose, a black eye and welts on his face and arms. And if looks could kill he wouldn't even be alive, for while his friends shout his praises, the boy he has beaten gives him a look that says: "Just wait." He has not won anything except, perhaps, a bitter and lasting enemy.

So it is with the wars that nations wage against each other. Necessary as it sometimes becomes to defend our liberties, our homes, our way of life, by force of arms, seldom does any nation actually win the war. Rather all lose, even the "victors," as in their "victories" they sow the bitterness and hate which are the seeds of future wars.

It is different, however, with "the good fight of [the] faith," for the Christian may come out of every battle stronger than when he went in. Only the Christian can say with regard to the heartaches and disappointments, the difficulties and obstacles, that cross his path: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37).

During Paul's busy ministry for Christ he suffered a painful "thorn in the flesh," and "besought the Lord thrice" that it might be taken away. The Lord did not see fit to remove the thorn, but answered Paul:

"My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:9).

Paul's response:

"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me... for when I am weak, then am I strong" (Vers. 9,10).

Let all go well, and we are prone to grow careless in our Christian lives. Adversity, on the other hand, makes Chris- tians lean the harder and pray the more -- and therein lies their strength and their victory.